One down, several across
WINNER: KAREN PAILING
Confession
Jam tarts were just the start of it: I knew
At first bite that I’d polish off the lot.
Coffee and walnet cake, tiramisu,
Kept beckoning me back. I can’t think what
Olfactory enchantment made me stray
From self-restraint to gluttony that day.
Heady aromas vied to tempt and thrill;
Each taste bud clamoured for its teatime treat.
A homage to her culinary skill
Remains my best defence. Compelled to eat,
Today I’ll feast on sticky toffee squares,
Spiced buns to die for, chocolate eclairs.
RUNNER UP: DAVID ELLIS
Captured Tranquility
Just greens are here, no gaudy blooms, but pines
And cypress trees give shade, and moss has framed
Pure lucid pools, where paths belie straight lines
And everywhere I look is ‘wildness-tamed’.
No poet can portray how such vast space-
